Absolute power
by ReixGaara
Summary: SPOILERS FOR INTO DARKNESS!   After the dust settles and Jim wakes up, Leonard sets his sights on discovering what is in Khan's blood and can he replicate it. But when the genetically engineered man agrees to work with him will the doctor get more than he bargained for. M/M. Standard disclaimers apply. Don't own anything.
1. Measure of men

Chapter 1: Measure of men **Chapter Text**

After Kirk had awakened arrangements had to be made before Khan could be returned to cryo. At first Leonard had been glad the mad man would stay in cryo until the systems failed on him. He didn't believe it death as a punishment but he was as close as he could be on the subject to changing his mind where Khan was concerned. The man was dangerous, in every sense of the word. But as days crept by and Jim got stronger, Leonard found himself in the private lab that Star fleet had provided him, studying the serum he'd made from Khan's blood. As much as Dr. McCoy knew the man needed to be behind bars, secure in a cell where he couldn't hurt anyone else, he also knew that the opportunity to study the genetically engineered man was now or never. He'd been able to synthesize a serum to restore Jim back to life but it seemed without the key ingredient of Khan's blood, there was no replicating it. Possibilities for medical advancement were unlimited if he could break down the key regenerative components.

That is what he'd told more times than he could count to various panels and admirals until someone had finally agreed, most likely to shut him up. Now, as he stood in front of the glass wall of the cell, he wondered just what he'd gotten himself into. Everything about Khan radiated strength, confidence, that barely controlled savagery that he'd seen not only in the man but also in Spock when his control had been broken. Khan's frame alone was sleek and muscular, hiding the power of the genetically engineered muscles and bones that made the man resistant to even the brutal beating Jim had tried to lay on him.

And he was beautiful, clearly a superior species. Even the man's face was engineered to bring a feeling of inferiority and desire. As much as he condemned the practice, McCoy was fascinated by the thought process behind the work. A superior human, resistant to disease and even death.

"You are not required to submit to the tests or procedures, but I'd like to think that you will anyway. If not for the betterment of life then for my sake, seeing as how I was partly responsible for saving the lives of your crew." The look those ice blue eyes delivered made Leonard shiver.

"If that is the case, aren't all of the lives that were taken when I crashed into San Francisco also partly your responsibility? You already knew what I would do in retaliation for the deaths of my crew. Your...bluff... costs tens of thousands of lives. Will learning something from studying me help ease that weight off your shoulders, Doctor?"

It had only recently started to occur to him just how much damage their actions had caused on that day and Khan's words burned through his soul. He wasn't sure any of the decisions had been wrong but so many lives had been destroyed nonetheless. The worst part was he could see the people he knew doing something similar in the right circumstances. Jim...if he had seen what Khan had seen, if he'd had his crew held against him as leverage...

Swallowing thickly, Leonard tried to keep his temper in check. This wasn't like arguing with Spock over some Star Fleet regulation that the half Vulcan wouldn't bend on. This man was dangerous.

"If you consent you will be moved to a high security ward at Star Fleet medical. I will be overseeing every aspect of the testing personally and nothing would be overly invasive. Or you can stay here, spend the rest of your time in this cell before they stick you back in deep freeze with the rest of the meat popsicles."

Slowly rising off the bench at the back of the cell, Khan smirked at the doctor as he came to stand just an inch behind the glass. "Come closer, Doctor," he purred, barely surprised then the doctor hesitated but complied, taking a step closer to the front wall of the cell.

"Closer."

There was something about the way the man enunciated the word that drew Leonard in, that deep voice drawing him in closer until there was nothing but six inches and the pane of glass separating them.

"Are you afraid of me, Doctor?"

Those blue eyes had a hold of him and before Leonard could stop himself he was nodding. "Yes...in a sense," he recovered, staring defiantly back at the mad man. "I know what you can do. I know you if this glass wasn't here you could tear me apart limb from limb. I know you almost killed my friend, almost killed all of us, and for what? Revenge? Blood lust? I'm well aware of how dangerous you are." As he spoke Khan's eyes bore into him, weighing and measuring every single gesture and syllable. He felt wanting.

"And you freely offer yourself for this work? Do I intrigue you, doctor?"

Flushing at the implication to the words, Leonard gruffly shrugged his shoulders. "Of course you do. You're a medical marvel that is now illegal to reproduce. There's a lot I could learn from a week with you. Now do you consent so we can start the dog and pony show of having you moved or do you want to keep wastin' my time?" he snapped, his southern drawl thickening as the despot toyed with him.

"A week with me..." Khan murmured thoughtfully, as if savoring the suggestion. "Very well, Doctor. I shall...submit to your tests. I shall enjoy the company for my last week awake."

As he left the detention facility, Leonard could understand how Jim had felt when he'd brought Khan onto the other ship, like he was the one being used and not the other way around.


	2. The games begin

**Chapter Text**

It took six hours to set up the procedures for the transport of one man but when he materialized on the transport pad in the underground facility, Leonard was glad to have a full security detail with him. Spock and a still weary looking Jim hung at the back of the room, watching every shift of movement as Khan stepped off the transporter pad.

"Captain. Almost fully recovered I see. How relieved your friends must be." Turning his attention to Leonard, which got far more of a reaction out of both Kirk and Spock than anything else, he smirked. "Doctor. It will be a pleasure to watch you work." His eyes flicked back to the two men by the door before his gaze turned predatory. "Now do we begin this with a physical? What do you say, Vulcan? Captain? Shall we each whip it out and see who's is biggest. The good doctor could measure," Khan purred, taking half a step closer to McCoy as Jim's eyes widened and he limped forward with his crutch.

Cupcake, now Jim's head of security, raised his phaser but McCoy pointedly ignored them all. The last thing he needed before they even got started with Khan to know that even all the people around him thought he was too weak to take care of himself.

"Mr. Singh, if you would like to start the tests with a physical I'm sure I'd be able to give you a nice, extensive cavity search and prostate exam. I'm quite sure the restraints provided will hold you. Now, if you're finished provoking my colleagues we're going to start you with some basic tests and some questions you'll hopefully know the answers to. I'll be with you in a minute." As security led Khan out of the room and towards the lab, Jim shook his head at his friend.

"Bones, I don't like this. He's going to try something."

"I have to agree with the Captain, Doctor. It is illogical for you to put yourself at risk. You are not even allowing security in the room. I am available to assist you with your work and Khan and I are similarly matched in strength. I could..."

"You could what," McCoy cut in, looking between the two men. "If he decides he's going to kill me there is nothing anyone can do. Jim, you told me you watched him crush a man's skull with his bare hands. If he wants to snap my neck he will do it before you or security or anyone else will be able to stop him."

Kirk scowled, huffing as he crossed his arms while trying to balance his weight with his crutch. "How he's acting, Bones...it's like he's..."

"Preening like a peacock? Yes, I noticed, though I think that has more to do with you two than it does with me. I'm quite sure that if he tries to rape me Cupcake will have time to stun him. If it wasn't for whatever is in his blood you would have died, Jim. Just...let me try. The explosion in London could have been averted if we could have treated that little girl on our own. I'll be fine. I'll take a break in..." He checked his watch, debating how much time he wanted to get a preliminary workup finished. "Six hours. I'll meet you both for something to eat and I'll tell you everything if that will make you feel better."

Grumbling under his breath that it wouldn't make him feel better if Leonard was dead, Kirk grudgingly nodded. "Fine. Send me a message when you're done," he muttered, shrugging off Spock's help as he slowly made his way up to the transporter pad. "And Bones, be careful. Don't turn your back on him for a second."

Leonard waited for the two men to disappear before leaving the transporter room. There were two checkpoints before he made his way into the lab, where each piece of equipment and locker was coded to his fingerprints and access code. It would make things much slower but Starfleet wasn't taking any chances this time.

And inside the pristine, white room was Khan, sitting on the biobed and staring at him, much like he had when McCoy had been seeing to him on the enterprise; a pair of security officers standing at the end of the bed with phasers still drawn.

"Now, I prefer to work without these fine gentlemen in my hair," he started, keying in a code to one of the cabinets and removing a small case. "In order for that to happen you must agree to having this subdermal chip installed in the back of your neck. Barbaric little bastard but it was a condition of my working with you. It will administer a heavy shock if activated, enough to likely kill a normal man but at least knock you out, if not cause serious brain damage. Head of security will have a remote for it and I will have the corresponding chip implanted in my body. Direct pressure will activate it. And before you get any ideas if my chip stops receiving the electrical impulses from my body, say if you kill me or tear my arm off, your chip will explode and destroy your brain stem. Now, may I?" he asked matter of factly, placing one of the chips into the injector gun."

"You wish to tag me like a pet?" Khan asked, arching a brow, his lips quirking when Leonard shrugged. "And what if you are to die when you are not in the lab?"

"I'm very careful. Besides, with only a week with you here I'll be spending most of my time with you. Isn't that delightful," he drawled sarcastically. "The chip will be neutralized and removed before you go back into cryo. Now, may I?" he repeated, his tone less polite this time.

When Khan nodded his head, Leonard stepped around behind him, carefully lifting the short dark hairs on the back of the pale neck. "Don't move," he murmured, injecting the implant, his fingers brushing over the mark out of habit.

"You seem very eager to have me all to yourself, Dr. McCoy. Something you're not telling your friends?" Khan asked, his smirk widening when the doctor's cheeks tinted in a light blush.

"Don't flatter yourself. I just work better without people underfoot is'all," Leonard grunted, reloading the injector and placing the second chip in his own forearm. "Remember that it's in your best interest for nothing to happen to me while we're working together," Leonard added with a sarcastic smirk. "Now, let's begin, shall we."

Khan stripped down to just his boxers as Leonard began taking notes and measurements of his body, which meant far more handling and close proximity than Leonard was comfortable with. He tried to keep his mind focused on the task at hand but it was difficult with those intense eyes following his every movement. He could feel the mass murderer's breath on his neck when he leaned in close to measure Khan's jaw or examine his eyes and ears.

"Why would you want to wipe out races that you find less advanced than you? What good does that do you? Do anyone really? With your intelligence you could do great things. What good does destruction bring?" Leonard asked finally, setting aside the pad he was recording his notes on and testing the man's reflexes in his knees.

"Life is destruction, Doctor. I was created to bring order, to rule. I was made better, a leader of a superior race. It has been the way of nature for a superior race to eliminate the inferior, since the dawn of humanity. Why should I be any different?"

Leonard's face scrunched with distaste and he rolled his eyes. "That's a pathetic excuse to be a monster. You still have free will. You, your people, you could have been a great leaders in history but you chose to murder and enslave. There's so much..." Leonard gasped as his wrist was captured in a bruising grip, his attention drawn immediately to those damned, chilling eyes.

"I am exactly what I was made to be. I was bred by men like Marcus who were too stupid to realize they couldn't control me. Am I to blame for what I was made to be? Am I to blame for Marcus waking me, using me, using my family against me. You call me a monster but it is more than my genetics that made me what I am. Ever since my creation your people have been exploiting me and my kind. Why wouldn't I want to eradicate them?"

For once Leonard didn't know how to respond. It was true that it was both nurture and nature that Khan was created from. His stomach churned as he thought about what he would be willing to do himself if someone used Joanna against him, or Jim. How far would he have to go before he would be considered a monster too? It was all too easy to paint Khan black but he'd heard what the man had said on the enterprise, the sorrow and fury as he recounted how Marcus had used him. He hadn't had a choice then, just a weapon for some admiral to sharpen.

"Most people would agree that it wasn't right," he whispered, unable to look away from the hard gaze. "It wasn't right what he did. It's sick, but most of humanity wouldn't..."

"Oh wouldn't they? If war does break out with the Klingons would you sacrifice seventy-two lives to save billions?" Khan snapped, his sharp gaze darting around the doctor's dismayed face, noting the very depth of the creases between the man's eyes. "Perhaps you wouldn't, but could you say the same of most of humanity? You think humans have become so enlightened but there will always be men like Marcus, doctor, willing to go to extremes to further their own agenda."

_"____Singh! I have my finger on this shiny, red button. We all are very curious just what it would do to you. Release Dr. McCoy at once."_ Cupcake's voice cut through the room, finally drawing Leonard's attention away from the man holding him. Khan however never looked away from Leonard's face, his fingers slowly uncurling from around the man's wrist.

Rubbing the abused flesh, Leonard stepped back, exhaling slowly as he turned away to retrieve more supplies. "It's fine. I'm fine," he stated loudly enough for the security feed to hear, though it wasn't entirely true. Khan had rattled him, cut through something he honestly believed, that humanity was growing, enlightened, above such brutal means to an end.

Setting out a series of containers, McCoy turned back to Khan, not quite able to meet the man's gaze. "Samples. Hair, saliva, urine and semen. Fill them up." He moved to the computer station to input his data so far but really as an excuse to put some space between them and giving Khan some privacy as he moved to the washroom facilities.

_"____Dr. McCoy?"_

"I'm fine," he repeated, tugging up his sleeve to look at his wrist. A dark bruise was already starting to form. "He didn't hurt me. He just..." He trailed off, unsure how to finish the sentence. Khan had either wanted to scare him or wanted his full attention and Leonard was inclined to suspect the latter. He'd wanted to be heard.

When the man returned with the containers, Leonard frowned when he saw that the sample container for semen was still empty. He arched an annoyed brow at Khan who simply replied, "Later."

"Fine. I also need a sample of your sweat," he grumbled, tossing the man a set of workout clothes. Put those on and get on the treadmill. Run until you're dripping," he added, taking the samples already provided over to the counters to start testing.

"I hope you don't have plans," Singh replied, pulling on the clothes.

Half an hour later Leonard could barely pretend he was working anymore, his attention on the long limbed stride and the steady thumping of the man's footfalls. He'd been running at a speed that McCoy didn't even think was possible for a man the entire time and he barely seemed winded. It was a thing of beauty, every move efficient and calculated as the powerful body easily carried it's own weight. This is what Davinci had envisioned when he'd drawn the vitruvian man. Unbidden, words like Adonis and perfection floated through his mind. Physically, Khan was perfection personified.

"Computer, increase room temperature by twenty degrees centigrade and increase humidity by thirty percent," he ordered to the ceiling, eager to finish with this particular test. At least he'd been smart enough to set the sensors to record as much biometric data as possible so they wouldn't likely have to repeat it.

Minutes later, it was McCoy who was peeling off the blue, outer layer of his shirt, sweat clinging to his brow. It took another ten minutes before the superman broke enough of a sweat for a sample to be taken. Leonard had done nothing but sit and was twice as soaked.

"Return room to default climate settings. Semen sample, Khan," McCoy grumbled, holding back up the empty cup.

"I'll provide one, if you do two things for me," the deep baritone voice negotiated as Khan stripped away his clothes again. "First, change into a clean uniform. Second, remain here while you do and for the duration."

"What?" Leonard snapped before rolling his eyes. He didn't have the patience to play whatever game Khan was playing. He was hot and tired and more than ready to go meet with Jim and Spock. "Fine. You have five minutes before I leave," he growled moving over to another cabinet to retrieve a clean uniform for himself. When he turned back around he nearly jumped in surprise when Khan already had one of his pale, powerful hands wrapped around one of the longest, most perfect cocks he'd ever seen.

"Christ! Not wasting any time I see." Keeping his back turned, he made quick work of stripping away each piece of clothing and replacing it, not wanting his body any more exposed to the lude situation than he needed to. Once he was redressed he picked up a padd, trying to distract himself from what was happening only a few feet away from him.

"No. Look at me," the other man ordered.

Turning slowly, the doctor was once again caught in the consuming blue gaze, only this time it took everything he had not to turn his eyes away. He could see Khan's arm moving in his periphery and it was nearly impossible not to glance down.

"Come closer," Khan purred, just like he had the day before and just like the day before Leonard stepped forward.

"Closer..."

It was nothing short of pure erroticism, that deep, commanding voice in that gentle, enticing whisper. Now Leonard was standing only half a foot away from the other side of the biobed, only there was no glass between them this time.

He tried to focus on anything but those captivating eyes but when he locked his gaze on the man's collar bones he immediately began tracing them with it. The perfect body, his eyes followed the lines of it, across the well formed chest, down his sternum and his ribcage. A well toned abdomen, the lines of those hipbones. That gorgeous cock, wrapped with long, pale fingers, both slicked with precum.

His head snapped back up as he realized where he'd been staring but now Khan's face was the picture of satisfaction, as if he'd proved some sort of point. Khan licked his lips; and the room seemed suddenly so dry. It was only seconds before Leonard copied him, his cheeks heating as he tried not to react outwardly to the obscene situation.

A soft gasp was the only warning before Khan grabbed the jar with his free hand, the exquisite face tightening with pleasure. It was one of the most arousing displays Leonard had ever witnessed.

His chest still heaving, Singh carefully screwed the lid on the sample, handing it across the bed to Lenoard with a ghost of a smirk, making sure his fingers brushed against the doctor's gloved digits.

"Right. We're done for a bit," Leonard snapped, putting the semen under a stasis unit with the other samples and pulling off his gloves with a snap. "Get dressed, eat something and get some rest. I'll be back in a bit." He marched for the door, not sure and not caring if the man had said anything until he was out the door. Across the hall a security guard stuck his head out of the room, an eyebrow raised in amusement. "Right," the doctor snapped, stepping into the other room. "If he wants to play games, we're going to let him. I couldn't care less and I want his cooperation. I also don't want any of this malarkey going into reports. Are we clear gentlemen?"

Trying not to smirk, Cupcake cleared his throat. "Of course sir. Whatever you say."

A string of curses followed the doctor to the transporter room, his hands held just so to hide theft he was half hard.


	3. Truth, lies and lies by omission

**Chapter Text**

Truth, lies and lies by omission

The silence at the table as McCoy and Spock waited for Jim to arrive was oppressive, uncomfortable in a way that Leonard hadn't felt around the half Vulcan in a long time. Spock hated small talk and Leonard didn't care to explain why he'd called them for dinner three hours early twice. It was just easier to wait for Jim to arrive so he could sort out just what he was and wasn't going to tell them all together. But that meant the first officer had time to study him in that damned knowing way he had. Try as he might, the doctor couldn't stop fidgeting with the sleeve on his left wrist. The image of Khan maturbating while staring at him played in his mind again and again, causing his cheeks to flush.

"Is everything alright, doctor?"

The question startled Leonard out of another round of picturing Khan's face as the man climaxed. Blinking across the booth at the ever composed Vulcan, Leonard shrugged. "I'm fine Spock. This just might be more challenging than I thought," he murmured, glancing away so at least he wouldn't have to look at the vulcan's blank face. Even as he tried to stay in the moment he couldn't help but remember overhearing Khan speaking with Spock and Jim.

_"____You, can't even break a rule, how can you be expected to break bones."_

Khan had been speaking about the half Vulcan then and Leonard found himself turning those words over in his head now. He'd seen Spock's own savagery unleashed but somehow the very essence of the man seemed a pale reflection of the genetically engineered despot he had currently locked underground. Even Jim, who was a cauldron of passion and expression, seemed dull compared to how brightly Khan burned.

Luckily he was spared anymore avoiding conversation with Spock as Jim hobbled into the restaurant.

"Bones, sorry it took me so long. Was...occupied when you called." Jim smirked as he sat down, looking altogether too pleased with himself.

"Ah, so was it the twins again or were you spending a little time with our new science officer?" Leonard teased, knowing that Jim had received regular visits from Carol Marcus since he'd been back on earth recovering.

Jim had just opened his mouth to respond when Spock cut in, ending whatever story of sexual exploits Jim was planning on sharing before it began.

"Doctor, you appear to have injured your left wrist since we saw you three point two hours ago. Would it be rhetorical to ask you how?"

The smile fell away from Jim's face and he was taking hold of his friend's arm before Leonard had a chance to say a word. As he pushed back the sleeve, even the doctor was shocked to see how dark the bruise on his wrist had become. "Jesus, Bones!" Jim gasped, gently touching the abused skin with his fingertips. "He did this to you? Is that why you left so early? Damn it! Starfleet never should have agreed to this. He's dangerous, Bones. He could have..."

Throwing up his hands in frustration, the doctor gave an exaggerated huff. "Oh for the love of god. We've had this conversation before, Jim. Yes, he could kill me, but the research I do could save millions. Hell, it save you!" Turning his annoyed glare on Spock, Leonard growled. "And if I felt the need to share my minor injury with the two of you, I would have. Now both of you, cut it out. That wasn't even the reas...I said something that touched a nerve and he grabbed my wrist to get my attention. He's actually been very cooperative."

"Cooperative? What does that mean, Bones?"

"You just implied that while the damage to your wrist was not the cause of your early departure from the laboratory, there was indeed some reason. What happened, doctor? Were you injured in some other way?" Spock's black eyes raked over the doctor as if searching out some other sign of injury. He didn't fail to notice the way the doctor flushed and shifted in his seat, a clear sign that the doctor was attempting to be deceitful.

"No! Nothing happened. He tried to play a few mind games but I wasn't biting. You know, this is worse than being stuck in a room with him. At least he listened to me," Leonard huffed, rising from the table. "I'm going back. Next time, more conversation and less interrogation," he snapped, tipping back his drink and setting it heavily on the table before stalking away.

"Bones!" Jim called after him before casting a worried look across the table to his first officer.

"The doctor seemed...more agitated than usual, though it is difficult to tell with him," Spock murmured, tenting his fingers.

"No, you're right. Something was bothering him. I just don't understand why he wouldn't tell us about it."

As he walked back into the lab, Leonard couldn't believe he'd just stormed out on his friends to come back to a sexually harassing mad man. Khan was still in his quarters in the facility and Leonard decided to work for a while on the samples before going to retrieve him. Memories assaulted him as he glanced at the semen sample, still under the stasis light and he pointedly ignored it. After an hour of running tests on the hair sample and not paying much attention to the results however, the doctor decided that it would be helpful to have Singh's help with the results. With the way the man fought in battle it was hard to remember that the genetic engineering had also increased Khan's intellect. Khan was probably as intelligent as Spock, the captain and himself combined.

With a sigh, Leonard put his tests back in stasis and exited the lab, moving down the white hallway until he reached the door with the armed guards. "Open it," he grumbled, flushing slightly when one of the guards failed to hide his smirk. The door slid open to reveal Khan spread out on the small bunk, one naked arm tucked behind his head and the other resting on the muscular abdominals.

"Doctor. I didn't expect you back so soon. Anxious to see me again," the man purred, that damned smirk raising Leonard's agitation at once.

"Do you always have to smile like a damned supervillain?" he demanded, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe.

"According to your people I am a...damned supervillain," the other man responded evenly, sounding amused as his gaze followed the doctor's to where his hand rested on his bare stomach. "Now, doctor, don't be shy. My cell is your cell. Please, come in."

Hesitating only for a moment, Leonard stepped through the threshold, the door sliding closed behind him.

"Alone again. Come here," Khan murmured, trailing his fingers along the perfect dip between the muscles on his stomach.

"I'm fine over here," the doctor mumbled, looking back at the PADD he had with him as he tried to ignore the provocative sight on the bed. "I'd like your help, if you're willin'. Maybe that superior brain of yours will have better luck at synthesizing the regenerative properties of your blood than mine."

"I'll consider it, if you come here," Khan taunted, propping himself up on an elbow and beckoning the doctor closer.

"Superhuman recovery time as well?" Leonard demanded sarcastically, unable to keep his gaze from where Khan's long, elegant fingers were stroking idly over the bulge in his pants.

"When the desire strikes me. You're far from unappealing. Come here," he repeated licking his lips.

"No. I want to try to rebuild the genetic markers from your blood but the initial molecular sequencing refuses to hold. Will you help me?" Leonard asked, keeping his eyes on the PADD, even though he could see the mass murderer's hand in his peripheral vision, heat gathering along his cheekbones

"You're attracted to me," the warlord said, pushing himself to a sitting position, his posture perfect, shoulders held back to show off his half naked body. "You're only denying because you don't want to be seen fraternizing with the enemy, but there are no cameras in here, doctor. Just you and me."

It was all Leonard could do to keep from reacting to the words, wondering how the man was getting so quickly under his skin. He wasn't like Jim, jumping into a bed at the first swish of an attractive tail. Yes, Khan was beautiful but he was also a mass murderer who nearly killed his best friend. He was not attracted to the man.

"No, I'm just not going to trade sexaul favors with you for your help. And, you're a despotic psychopath, which is really not my type. I prefer someone with a bit more appreciation for art than for genocide. I live a life based on compassion, something I'm not sure you know anything about. Now I'm assuming you're not going to help me so I'll be back when I need you," he grumbled, glaring at Khan before he turned to leave.

"I sing the body electric," Khan started, rising slowly to his feet, his long body stretching to it's full height. Pressing closer his bright, blue eyes locked on the doctor's back.

"The armies of those I love engirth me and I engirth them,

They will not let me off till I go with them, respond to them..."

As McCoy turned he found himself nearly chest to chest with Khan, those eyes full of desire and passion, making the usually stoic face look so alive it made the doctor gasp.

"And discorrupt them, and charge them full with the charge of the soul."

Leonard's usual scowl softened and he couldn't help the hint of a smile that crossed his mouth. "Walt Whitman. I...didn't realize you were so well read," he hesitantly teased, looking down at his feet to hide his blush.

"Shall I recite Ginsberg or D H Lawrence for you next, doctor?" Khan asked, lifting the doctor's chin with a finger.

"Don't. Don't do that.," Leonard responded it at once, pulling his face away from the warm digit. "I won't play these games with you. Starfleet is the only life I've got left and even if your nature didn't repulse and scare the hell out of me, I wouldn't risk it. Now, if you don't want to help me, then just let me get back to it and enough messing with my head."

Khan eyed him closely for a moment and some of the fire in those eyes cooled, reminding Leonard of how the man had looked when he had been in sickbay; cool, calculating, like a completely different man than had been in front of him seconds before.

"Very well, doctor. I will assist you, though I doubt that your attempts will be successful. Even amongst my brothers and sisters I was made unique."

Khan held his gaze for another moment before stepping back and grabbing his shirt. Leonard however didn't wait to watch the man pull it on, turing and signalling for the door to open. He was out in the hallway and away from the heavy sexual tension in seconds.

"Bring him to the lab," he called to the guards over his shoulder, dragging a hand anxiously through his hair as he made his escape. Only his escape was not enduring, he could already hear footsteps behind him as Khan followed him into the lab. Planting himself behind a microscope, he pointed to one of the protein sequencers, not looking up as Khan entered. "That terminal there. I've been trying to create a program to build your blood stem cells from scratch but the computer hasn't been able to create the initial base pair sequences. How about you give it a try?"

Leonard chanced a glance from the corner of his eye as the other man settled down at the station, the panels casting a blue glow on the pale skin. Looking away in frustration, the doctor determinedly stuck his face back into the neutron microscope. as hard as he tried, once he saw something he couldn't unsee it and now when he looked at the crazy despot, the psychotic war criminal, he was the passionate man reciting an erotic piece from one of his favorite poets in that hypnotic, deep voice. Any other person reciting poetry to him would have been laughable but this man, three hundred years out of time and with a brilliant mind, made Leonard's skin crawl with desire.

They probably worked in silence for half an hour, Khan at the computer while Leonard traded slides on the microscope before the silence was broken.

"Why do you assume it's a game?" Khan asked, not looking up from his work as he poked away at the buttons on the panel. "You're not without your qualities, physical and otherwise. At least for a natural. And it has been hundreds of years since I've been with someone."

"You spent the majority of that in cryostasis," Leonard was quick to point out, not wanting to give this line of discussion any more merit that he had to.

"Yes, and after that I was only in enemy hands for nearly a year. A year of having my family held hostage and used against me while Marcus exploited me in whatever manner he desired. That year alone has been an excruciatingly long, stressful period."

Biting his lip as he tried not to look up from his work, Leonard told himself not to sympathize with the mass murderer, though he found himself failing. "Your crew is safe now. No one is using them against you and they won't as long as I'm in starfleet. Thousands of people died in the explosion in London and when you crashed that damned warship into San Francisco. I've learned to leave well enough alone and I think the brass has too. So you can just relax now."

"Safe, as long as you're looking out for me?" Khan teased, enjoying the back and forth. It had also been a long time since he'd had any kind of association with another human where the power wasn't weighed drastically to one side of the relationship or the other. Stubborn and argumentative though he was, the doctor was engaging, participating in a debate with him as if they were colleagues. "I'm flattered you care." Khan didn't try to hide the sound of him crossing to the doctor, noting the way the man's back and shoulders tensed, even if he didn't look up. "Tell me, doctor, have you ever had anal sex before? I've been told it is quite uncomfortable the first time, especially for those submitting to we genetically engineered. Would you say I'm larger than average, doctor? You did seem to get good look at me before."

Leonard could feel Khan's breath on the back of his neck and was shocked that he found it equally arousing as repulsive. Still, he was careful not to react outwardly, pretending as if the madman behind him didn't bother him in the least. "Mmm, let me guess, you heard from the harem of slaves you kept to rape when you were ruler of the world?" he bit out sarcastically. "Again, not really interested in playing this game, Khan." The hands he could see from the corners of his eyes that were about to lay on his shoulders paused before pulling back and dropping back to Khan's sides.

"You think I'm the devil himself but perhaps you need a history lesson, doctor. Why don't you look up my role in the...Eugenics wars, as you call them. You may be surprised by why what you find."

Looking up from his microscope finally, Leonard stared as Khan sat back down at the computer, a scowl formed between the man's brows. The man looked...insulted, and Leonard had to admit that he really didn't know much of the details about of the war. He'd briefly learned about it in school but he couldn't remember the details anymore. He remembered that Khan had conquered most of Asia and the middle east in less than three years but he couldn't remember any of the details about the man's rule, just that they were declared war criminals. Most augments were killed, only Khan and his closest faction fled and the captured embyos were kept in cryo off world. Then world war three happened and Khan was forgotten.

Suddenly feeling guilty, Leonard sighed heavily. "Did you eat while I was gone?" he asked, getting up and moving to the food synthesizer and pulling out a pair of cards from the pocket of his lab coat. They were both supposed to be for himself but he figured if he had insulted the man who could snap his neck in a flash, a meal other than protein supplement might be a decent apology.

"The guards rarely see fit to feed me. I suspect...many of them had families in San Francisco. My metabolism can slow to reduce the amount of food I require." Khan muttered, not looking up from his work.

"The hell it can! You get three meals a day while you're here and you damn well better tell me if you don't!" Leonard snarled, shocked that his "enlightened" security detail would deny a man food. It seemed to prove what Khan had said earlier in the day. "I hope you're not a vegetarian," he added, setting the plate with the steak and vegetables in front of the other man, who eyed it hungrily.

"Cutlery?"

"Oh," Leonard sighed, not having thought this through. Steak meant having a sharp knife. He knew Khan could kill him without but there was something about arming the man that seemed particularly braindead. "Uh...here. Let me," he added, grabbing a laser scalpel and slicing the meat quickly into nearly uniformed cubes. "The only utensil you're allowed is a spoon. If you'd like...it might be just as easy to eat with your fingers," he added, trying not to think of what a sight that would be.

With a curt nod, Khan lifted a piece of the juicy meat to his lips, making quite the show without so much as trying. Taking his own plate, Leonard moved back to his own station.

"Doctor," Khan, drew McCoy's attention back to him. "Thank you. Your compassion is...endearing."

A small smile spread across Leonard's lips and he nodded in response, wondering just how hard that year with Marcus had been on Khan if a simple meal was considered compassionate.

"Yeah yeah, I'm a saint. Can we get back to it?"


	4. Do no Harm

Do No Harm

A/N: Aren't you all lovely. Thank you so much for the feed back on this story. The reviews help me more than you can know in hammering out the next chapter. I seriously considered leaving you with a terrible cliffie but decided I just couldn't do that to you. I'm sure you'll agree it was worth the wait!

Ah yes, the poetry. The last was by Walt Whitman, I sing the body electric. This poem is "I want" by Emily Dickinson. If you think of any others that might fit their spicy little affair, please do suggest. I do have a couple more in mind. Unbeta'd, mistakes are mine and feel free to point them out. Also, I have attempted to pick out Cupcake's name from the dialogue. I probably have it wrong but it's something like that. If you can tell me for sure, I'll love you forever!

Also, a late disclaimer, I make no money from doing this. I own none of these characters, I just have fun with them.

That night Leonard found himself lying awake in bed, unable to sleep as the day played through his head. The time with Khan had been far less painful than he'd thought. After they'd eaten something had settled between them and though the work hadn't shown fruit yet, but they'd managed to make profiles of half a dozen cells for them to try to recreate. Kicking away the blankets, Leonard got up and moved into the other room. Pouring himself a drink, he flopped into the chair in front of his desk, dragging his hand over his face.

"Computer, display information on the Eugenics wars," he sighed, wishing he'd been able to just put what Khan had said out of his mind. he kept reminding himself that this had nothing to do with seeing if the warlord had a point, just for some background. As the screen lit up, Leonard sipped his drink as he drank in the history of the man he was working with.

It seemed that Khan was right about one thing, his history was rusty on the subject. Khan had been part of the second phase of augments, selective breeding from extraordinary parents along with genetic manipulation of his embryo. His mother had been an Olympic triathlete and speed skater and his father was one of the times most promising nuclear physicists. He'd started off with the building blocks to be superior to most human beings. There wasn't anything about what augmentations he'd had personally before being born but there were a couple of pictures of Khan throughout his life. There was a few of a teenager, just beginning to fill out his long limbs, lanky but clearly muscular, engaging in several sports. There was one of Khan running through the yellow tape at the end of some race, his arms thrown back and a look of triumph plastered on the young face.

Before he could stop himself, Leonard had already admitted that he looked magnificent.

There were lists of accomplishments in his young life. There were awards in martial arts, two sailing world cups, both equestrian jumping and dressage, fencing, something called cricket, a Pulitzer, and an astounding five PHDs before he was twenty five. Now Leonard was no slouch himself but as he studies Khan's past he couldn't help but feel intimidated. Not even a Vulcan close to the end of their life seemed capable of so much.

As Khan became more of a figure in politics the backlash against him and dozens of other augments became more vocal, as did the propaganda about augment superiority. The conflict began as typically as any he'd ever hear of. An attack on a group of augments, who were quick to retaliate. It was only weeks later that battle lines were drawn in the middle east and only a month after that before Khan had decisively taken over all of Saudi Arabia. Countries pushed back and Khan's control continued to stretch out against them, barely impeded. By the time there was the first joint military operation against him, Khan had gathered most of the augments in the middle east and India to him.

There was a historical record of Khan when he'd conquered India, in a uniform that Leonard had never seen before. Resplendent was the word that came to mind, though the picture of Khan with a sea of people bowing to him made his skin crawl. There was an arrogance on the gorgeous face in the picture that he'd never seen on the man.

After Khan's initial success bloody conflicts broke out between factions of augments and countries right across the globe. Most of the leaders that emerged outside of Khan's reach were brutal, slaughtering indiscriminately. Comparing Khan's campaigns to those of the other Augment factions they had fewer casualties by nearly half, even though the numbers involved with both sides. Khan had been a strategic genius, and though he had captured more countries than any other faction, he was considered to be the best of the dictators, ruling with a firm but fair hand.

There was little information on Khan personally except that he had no wife or children, was never known to have had a permanent lover and it was quite the honor to catch his eye for an evening.

His drink forgotten, Leonard read over all the available information again and again until there was just a couple of hours before he was due back at the lab. With a sigh, he forwent trying for any rest, heading for the shower as he tried to sort out all of the data he'd absorbed. Khan was indeed a warlord, but far from the worst there had been during that time. In addition to that, the man seemed...different than he'd been when he'd ruled. Much of the arrogance was gone. Even if he ever had command again he just didn't see the same desire to conquer that he had before, a dangerous and probably foolish notion.

When Khan joined him in the lab mid morning, Leonard's smile belied his gruff greeting. "'Bout time. I sent for you twenty minutes ago. What was the hold up?" The doctor's eyes darkened and he straightened up as Khan came to a stop perhaps closer than he needed to. "Have the guards been giving you a hard time?" When Khan smiled in response Leonard's stomach clenched in surprise. The man was too beautiful as it was, but that smile, that teasing, warm, real smile was nearly more than he could take.

"You'd have nothing but my word either way," Khan murmured, one of his hands resting low on Leonard's back. "Not to worry, doctor. I don't bruise easily and I did receive a meal of sorts this morning. I heard you yelling at the guards through my door last night. I believe they have received the message."

Letting out a long breath that he covered with a huff, the doctor stepped away but motioned Khan over to look at their failed results from the day before. "All of the programs we set up failed to produce a proper gene sequence. I know it's only day two but I'll be honest when I say that I'm not used to such spectacular failure. I usually have...something to start working from," he sighed, pushing the slide off the microscope in annoyance. When he turned around he was nose to nose with Khan who was regarding him carefully.

"You're fatigued, doctor."

Leaning back against the console, Leonard shrugged his shoulders, trying to keep the heat from rising from his cheeks. "Yeah, decided to give myself a history lesson last night instead of sleeping." Glancing up at Khan who was looking at him expectantly, a very small, pleased smile on his face, Leonard huffed in annoyance. "Yes, you were by far the most benign of the despots. Congratulations. You still subjugated nearly a quarter of the planet. How do you get by day to day without the masses bowing at your feet?"

Holding Leonard's defiant gaze, Khan brushed a thumb along the side of the doctor's face. "I miss it less than I thought," he murmured. "Particularly lately. You're very satisfying company, doctor." For just a moment Khan leaned in close enough that he could feel the doctor's breath on his face before he pulled back just enough to draw Leonard back towards him. "I think you're starting to enjoy my company as well," he teased, pressing his hips closer to the doctor's and taking a hold of Leonard's hip gently. He could feel the hips pressing forward even as the doctor tried not to move. "You try very hard to stay in control, doctor, even though it's against your nature. Is this time really so repressed that you have to keep yourself in check constantly?"

The sexual tension between them was so thick Leonard was sure he'd need a proper scalpel to cut it. If he hadn't spent the past three weeks going over Khan's genetic profile he would have been certain there was some Betazoid or Orion in the man with the way he was being drawn to him. A string of curses ran in his head for allowing the incident the day before, for letting himself question what he knew about the man in the first place.

"I...I told you my damned reasons yesterday. I just want to..."

"Yes," Khan cut in, drawing McCoy closer. "You do want. I can feel your desire every time you look at me. You don't have to deny yourself, doctor." His voice was a soft, seductive purr as his other arm slid around Leonard's back. "Desire, doctor, is one of the best things about being human. But to deny it..." he whispered, holding his face just inches away from Leonard's.

Drawing a deep breath, McCoy could smell Khan all around him and it was intoxicating. Lifting his chin their lips brushed ever so slightly and he couldn't stop the pathetic sound that pulled from the back of his throat when the contact lasted only a fraction of a second. Khan had to be doing something to him, tricking him. It was impossible to want someone this much when you hated nearly everything about them. Leonard prized freedom like he did air; Khan stood against the very notion of it. But the man was so damned beautiful and intelligent.

"Khan..." he pleaded softly, though even he couldn't be sure just what he was asking for mercy towards.

""I want"—it pleaded—All its life—

I want—was chief it said

When Skill entreated it—the last—"

As Khan began reciting yet another beautiful poem, Leonard's face contorted in frustration. He should hate it. People didn't spout poetry to him and he didn't find it beautiful. It was supposed to be cheesy, over the top in some florid way that was unlike him completely.

"And when so newly dead—

I could not deem it late—to hear

That single—steadfast sigh—

The lips had placed as with a "Please"

Toward Eternity— " Sliding a hand along the back of Leonard's neck, Khan brushed his lips against the shell of the doctor's ear. "If you ask me to stop, I will. If you ask me not to try again, I won't. But we both...want. I can feel it in every part of you as clearly as I can feel your erection against my thigh. Stop denying yourself." Dragging his lips back along the doctor's stubbled cheek, reveling in the barely audible sounds of encouragement he drew from the man as his tongue flicked out to taste the other man's mouth.

"_KHAN! Back away from Dr. McCoy. NOW!"_ blazed out into the room, snapping Leonard out of his trance as he tore himself away from the hot body that had been pressed against his own. Breathing heavily, Leonard turned away from the security camera as Khan lifted his arms in surrender. "_I know the good doctor said we were supposed to ignore your little games but any more of that and I'll be pushing the button that fries your brain, understand?"_

The smirk faded from Khan's face as he folded his hands behind his back. "Perfectly," he growled, his eyes still fixed on McCoy who was trying to pull himself back together.

"_Doctor, are you..."_

"Yes, I'm fine, god damn it! Just...don't push that damned button unless he's killing me. I still need his brain for another five days. Just...let's just get back to work." Flopping back down at his station, Leonard buried himself in designing a new experiment, pointedly ignoring both the security team and Khan until he could calm down.

Two hours later, Leonard's embarrassment had passed and he was once again blustering in frustration at the stubbornness of Khan's genetics.

"I thought maybe if we added more blood to the samples we have that it would spread out the amounts. Yeah, maybe diluted to the point they wouldn't bring someone back from the dead but still enough to save many lives. But no! No, the samples have all become completely inert after adding any kind of filler to them." Growling softly to himself, Leonard moved over to the protein sequencer and ordered a cup of coffee. "Hungry yet? I brought lunch today," he added, picking up the refrigerated bag and motioning Khan over to one of the empty biobeds on the other side of the room.

"How domestic of you to make us a picnic."

Leonard's cheeks flushed and he scowled in attempts to hide it. "Look, if you'd rather eat protein gruel, keep it up. I certainly don't have to be nice to you so you better watch that genius mouth of yours."

As Khan settled in beside the doctor and began opening containers, he gently brushed his fingers against the back of the man's hand. "I am grateful. This...world, this time, has been far from kind to me. Even locked underground with you is one of the first times I've felt at home since I was awoken." Pulling the lid off another container, Khan lifted it to his nose. "Brandied peaches. Cute," he murmured, eying the Georgian doctor with a gentle expression.

Taking the container from Khan, Leonard felt his face heating, much to his frustration. "I ain't cute!" he insisted, his accent becoming far stronger when he was so flustered.

Khan was just seconds away from disagreeing with the man when the doors to the lab slid open. The easy expression fell from his face as the Captain and Spock strode across the room to them.

"Bones. Spock wanted to see if he could offer you a hand and I just wanted to check in. See if you needed anything, though I take it lunch is already looked after," Jim added with a raised brow, looking t the cozy set up the two had spread out over their makeshift table. "A picnic, Bones? You do remember that he is a mass murderer, not a visiting geneticist, right? He killed Pike. Nearly killed everyone on enterprise, including you."

Leonard opened his mouth to reply, only to snap it closed when Khan's hand rested on his lower back again.

"That would have indeed been a tragedy. Leonard is a fascinating creature. The world is better off with him in it I think, though it's a pity he's so lonesome. Forced into willing captivity with me just for the slim chance of saving millions of lives, perhaps humanity has progressed, at least with some," he added, careful not to make his smirk too obvious to the group. He could see a visible reaction from both of the other men. The look of utter fury on Kirk's face alone was enough to lift the corners of his mouth.

"Get your damn hand off of him!" Kirk seethed, taking another step towards the biobed, his hands balled into fists at his side.

"Please, captain, you couldn't hurt me even on your best day, no matter what the lingering effect of my blood is insisting in your brain. Please stop attempting to get behind me, Mr. Spock," he finished, deliberately turning his attention to Spock, who had indeed been trying to slip around the end of the biobed unnoticed. "You both are very protective of him, aren't you? But he needs protection far less than than either of you. Tell me captain, is it that you're truly jealous or do you just not like anyone playing with what's yours? Is that...why you've kept your distance, Spock? You wouldn't dare outwardly get closer to the doctor if you thought it might affect your precious friendship with him. Besides, how important are Kirk's friends to him really? Look at how easily he tossed his last best friend aside for you. How long before he shunts you aside for Marcus's daughter?"

The other three men in the room gaped and glared and stared impassively at Khan, neither Spock or Jim saying a word, which only made Leonard more curious as to just his much of what the prisoner said had been right. It was true that he'd felt abandoned by Jim since the tenuous friendship between Spock and the captain had begun but he certainly hadn't mentioned it to Khan. Just how intuitive was the superman?

"How..." he started before realizing that he didn't want Jim to know that Khan was correct. "Alright, that's enough, Khan," Leonard warned, his voice coming out far more surprised than he'd intended.

"You shut the hell up! You don't know anything about Bones and I. He and I have been friends for years. He isn't threatened by my friendship with Spock. And Spock is with Uhura. You don't know a damn thing about any of us!" But even as his friend resisted, Leonard couldn't help but think that Jim's rebuttal was little more than objecting just to be obstinate. It did seem that somehow the man knew things that he shouldn't.

"You treat relationships like a child with a shiny new toy. The only reason you are here now is because you're afraid that someone else has started to play with the toy you abandoned. Just like if commander Spock had dared to explore his interest in the doctor you'd throw a childish hissy fit. Your naivety and selfishness will get the people around you killed."

"Khan! Enough!" Leonard entreated, utterly baffled by the shade Jim's face was turning. He want the only one who looked uncomfortable though. Spock looked like he was trying to swallow his tongue, the usually perfectly pale face an unpleasant blotchy green.

"Doctor, I can assure you that my interest in you is purely platonic and I have been enjoying..."

Just what Spock had been enjoying they never found out as an enraged Jim launched himself over the biobed, sending food and h and Khan to the floor.

"No! Would you two stop it!" Leonard snarled, more than a little annoyed that the lunch he'd made and had been looking forward to eating was now mostly on the floor. "This is a laboratory, not a boxing ring! Khan, stop before you hurt him!" that comment only seemed to throw His friend into an even higher rage. Kirks fist pounded into Khans face again and again, with seemingly little effect before he was flying across the room.

As Spock launched into the fray Leonard jumped towards him, grabbing a hold of one of the half Vulcan's powerful arms. "SPOCK! Spock, stop it!" The arm he was holding onto suddenly reared back, striking the doctor in the temple. Shuffling backwards holding his head, Leonard watched blearily as Khan's leg came down brutally on Spock's chest with a fierce growl, leaving the Vulcan on the floor winded and Khan scrambling over him.

"Are you alri-" Khan started, his eyes concerned as he knelt over the doctor. Before he could even finish the sentence his face contorted with pain.

"Khan? No NO!" the doctor screamed as Khan keeled over to the side, his body tight and shaking as a violent seizure racked his body. Crawling over to Khan and turning him on his side to protect his head, Leonard looked up at the security camera in the ceiling and snarled. "Turn it off! For fuck sakes you're going to kill him!" Instantly some of the tension left Khan's face but the seizure continued and Leonard eased Khan's head into his lap. "Spock! Spock, get me that tricorder!" His hand smoothed over Khan's dark hair as the man fell still, horror gripping his chest as Khan's blue eyes stared, unseeing, straight ahead of him.

As Spock knelt beside him Leonard snatched the scanner from his hand, his face paling further as he ran it over the man's head. "Oh god. Spock, help me get him up." The two of them lifted Khan up onto one of the biobeds and Leonard resumed taking readings, his face looking more and more grim. "Jim," he said finally, stepping away from the bed and giving his friend a once over with the tricorder before stepping back. "Go and get the security team in here now. Make sure you get the remote for the chip. Don't...don't argue with me right now," he added when Jim opened his mouth to respond.

"Doctor, this was not your fault," Spock murmured softly, resting a hand on Leonard's arm as he looked at the screen above the biobed. There is a chance with his regenerative properties that he will..."

"Don't...just don't," Leonard whispered, dragging a hand over his face. "This is entirely my fault. I asked him for his help and I put that damned chip in him and I didn't tell you both to leave or put Khan back in his room when I saw he was getting to Jim. This is entirely my fault."

There was another tense silence in the room as both men stood at the foot of Khan's bed before Spock finally broke it. "What he correct when he said, about you being lonesome? It was never my intention to direct the captain's attention away from you in anyway."

Letting out a long breath but not looking away from the monitor above the bed, Leonard shrugged. "Jim chooses who he spends his time with all on his own. Besides, was it true what he said about you have some sort of interest in me?" he added, letting the question speak for itself. He really couldn't be sure if Khan had hit the mark on that one or even what the man meant by it but he had to admit the man's intuition had been astonishingly perceptive so far.

Spock didn't have a chance to respond before Jim was leading six men into the lab. Marching across the room, Leonard held out his hand for the remote, quickly popping off the back off it and tearing at the circuits. "Who...was the idiot who not only pushed this button but held it down?" he asked, his voice wavering. A couple of the security personnel fidgeted in their red shirts but no one said anything. "I...I can't have you here. Post as many people in the corresponding transporter pad as you want but I don't want any of you here in this facility anymore."

Shuffling forward, Jim pulled the remote that Leonard had been shredding out of his hands. "Bones, you know we can't do that. He's dangerous. He could..."

"He isn't dangerous anymore, Jim. He has brain damage from the charge, which is specifically why I said it was only to be used as a last resort!" he bit out acidically. "I don't care if you set the transporter down behind you, just go. If there's any change in his condition I'll contact starfleet."

Most of the security team left with grumbles, leaving only Jim, Spock and the two senior security officers, though Cupcake was the first to step forward. "I'm sorry, doctor. I take full responsibility. I shouldn't have left the control in anyone else's possession other than mine."

"It's not your fault Lieutenant Hendle. It's mine and mine alone," Leonard sighed, leaning back against the biobed Khan was on and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Look...Bones, I know it's unfortunate but come on! This is hardly a huge loss. He's going back into stasis. At least if someone wakes him up again he won't have that super human brain to rain destruction on them." As McCoy lifted his head to look at the captain he could tell he'd said the wrong thing. "I mean...I just don't want you to beat yourself up over something that wasn't really your fault."

"My whole adult life I've lived by an oath, do no harm, Jim. But I put that damned chip in his head and now he's a vegetable. This...is the worst thing I've ever done, Jim, and if you can't see why then you don't know me at all. Just...just go. All of you. I'll send you a message if he wakes up."

Much to everyone's surprise, no one objected and he didn't watch as they filed out of the room leaving him and his catatonic patient alone.

Hours dragged by and finally when he was sure there was nothing else he could do medically for the man Leonard moved him carefully back to his quarters on a hover stretcher. Carefully he removed Khan's shoes and shirt before easing him onto the bed and covering him with one of the starfleet issue blankets. Unable to stand the blank look in those blue eyes anymore, he carefully closed the man's eyes before sitting on the edge of the bed, his hand petting gently at Khan's hair.

"Computer, music, smooth jazz, early twenty-first century, volume soft," he ordered, his free hand sliding it's way into the unconscious man's. "I don't know if you can hear me but...I'm sorry. I'm...so sorry. I won't stop looking for a way to fix this. Whatever happened before this...this...this shouldn't have happened and it's my fault. I'm so sorry. You had such a brilliant mind and...shit," he gasped, the guilt hitting him hard as the weight of what he was responsible for really hit him. He'd as good as taken a life, and for what? "I promise I'll do whatever I can to fix you, no matter how long it takes."

A slight squeeze of his hand was the only warning he received before those impossibly blue eyes opened, relief washing over him like a tidal wave. "Khan! Khan, good god, can you hear me?" he demanded, pulling out his tricorder and trying to take a reading.

"I can hear you," the man responded though there seemed to be some struggle to form the words. Khan's hand folded clumsily over the scanner, closing it before he tried to prop himself up on an elbow. "Not your fault. Come here," Khan murmured, pulling McCoy down to the narrow bed and tangling their fingers so the doctor couldn't resume his scan. "I'll re...re...I'll get better," the man whispered and Leonard realized Khan was struggling to find words.

"I didn't know if your brain would regenerate the same way. I'm so sorry..."

"Shh," Khan whispered, brushing his thumb along Leonard's lip, leaning in to nuzzle the point of tension between the man's eyes. "I'll get better. Stop...worrying."

And then they were kissing, Leonard sucking hungrily at Khan's lips as if they would offer some reprieve from his guilt as Khan kissed him just as passionately in return. Lips and tongues and limbs tangled together, the pair drinking one another in right to their cores, bodies pressed tightly. As they finally broke apart, Leonard cradled Khan's head against him.

"I'm so sorry," he gasped, pulling his fingers through the thick, dark hair. "I'm so sorry." Khan's pale pink lips trailed over his face kissing as he shushed and soothed the doctor. "God, your eyes. There was just nothing and..."

"And now?" Khan asked, leveling his eyes with McCoy's, tracing one of his thumbs along the doctor's expressive eyebrow. When Leonard made a desperate noise in the back of his throat, he smiled, sealing their mouths together again, this time the embrace slower. "Rest with me. I will have...recovered when we wake."

Nodding, Leonard allowed the stronger man to pillow his head with an arm, moaning softly when their mouths met again in lazy kisses and brushes of tongue. It was only when he began to get worked up again and Khan chuckled that low, dark, too sexy chuckle and ordered him to sleep again that Leonard finally let himself relax, in deadly arms.


End file.
